Viacom and FCC Agree on $3.5 Million Fine
NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004
WASHINGTON Viacom agreed Tuesday to pay $3.5 million to
end investigations by the Federal Communications Commission into
allegations of indecency in its radio and television programming.
The fine, one of the largest in FCC history, settles three
pending investigations, one involving shock jock Howard Stern
and two involving Opie and Anthony, who lost their Viacom-owned New
York radio show after it featured a couple purporting to be having
sex inside St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.
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Viacom agreed to install audio delay equipment at its radio
stations that air live programming, and to train its broadcasters
and employees about indecency laws.
"This consent decree allows us to move forward and to focus our
efforts in this area by serving our viewers and listeners with
techniques to safeguard live broadcasts, such as cutaways and video
and audio delays," Viacom said in a statement.
These are not related to the FCC's $550,000 fine levied against
Viacom after the exposure of singer Janet Jackson's breast during
the CBS Super Bowl Halftime show in January. Viacom is contesting
that fine.
© 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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